The Labour ranks are swelling every week to defend Eamon Gilmore during his Leader's Questions jousts with Joe Higgins.

And party TDs are getting louder and louder as Joe portrays himself as the Dáil's only true lefty.

This week, he went after Gilmore over the Irish activists detained in Israel after they had attempted to break the naval blockade of Gaza. He accused the Foreign Affairs Minister of sitting on his hands.

Gilmore took serious exception to this and the Labour TDs loudly heckled Joe, who said they had changed their tune in government.

"It's not funny, comrades," said Richard Boyd-Barrett, stinging the Labour TDs into a brief silence.